Being Human 1. Take on Me

"So this is what you've been dealing with while you were gone for that short time..." He didn't look at her as he stared at the far away island in the massive rolling sea in front of them. "You've been holed up here by yourself while I was being...walked down memory lane all by my lonesome"

She shook her head, a rueful smile gracing past her expression. "It may seem like a paradise now but to me this was a hell. My real family was somewhere I no longer was permitted to be and this..." Her eyes glanced around them and at the beautiful, raging scenery. "It couldn't compare to the both of you" she said softly.

Without warning he put his arm around her waist as they leaned over the marble railing that separated them from the depths of blue. He leaned his face more into her, smelling her, and kissing her soft skin as if he would never see it again, her grey sweater warming him even though he was cold with subtle fear. Tears of longing drizzled down her chin and he kissed those too, she would miss him for the years he would be gone, and be excited when he was let back in and into her arms once more.

"It's almost time" she muttered against the sea breeze. The torrents below her tussled with impatience, the wind growling and howling at the lovers as if asking for repentance, lightening flashing across the sky, and thunder rolling from the skies. The paradise was turning into a mad house the more time went by, but the two paid no mind to it. They were cherishing the moment they had left together and cherish they did.

He embraced her from behind and she turned her face towards him, their lips brushing and touching sweetly. More tears, from him this time, this part always got to him the most. Because of his senseless actions while he was alive, still the love of his life had to suffer the consequences of said actions. It broke her heart to know that he had kept the truth from her but it hurt even more to see him taken away from her, not because he was stolen away but because he _had_ to go_. _

Their lips met each other harder now, not out of lust, but passion. Fierce passion. This was their last second together and they needed it as they touched and tightly embraced each other. He pulled away, reluctantly, and held her away by her shoulders. Anymore of what they were doing and he wouldn't want to leave, he would resist and then he would be punished harsher than last time. The punishment was unbearable enough and he wouldn't go through it again just because he was being selfish, no.

"It's only five years" she whispered over the howls of the wind. His dark eyes glanced at the whirling sea, now deepening into a large hole of dark abyss, his ride had arrived for him.

"It feels like forever, more like a short eternity than five years" he told her while gazing into hole. He could even hear the cries of agony from within starting to build in crescendo with the tempering weather. She whimpered and gently pulled him one last time into her bosom.

"Its part of hell, part of what you have to deal with because of what happened; because of what you did to those people. I know you don't like it, you despise it just like I do and I can only ache for you" she made him look at her and saw the true hatred in his eyes, lying dormant somewhere else. "I love you"

He smiled at her, truly smiled and pulled her hands away from his person. His hands landed on top of the railing and he lifted up one leg and put it over, his heart hammered in his chest and through his ribs and his mouth parted as he stared dead center at his destination. His eyes glanced back to find his love turned away from him, she could never stomach this part, could never stand to face him when he left. But he wouldn't make her, wouldn't torture her with the image of him drowning in his own sea of destruction, watch him get swallowed up by the waves of his victims.

Without another word of goodbye or sweet-nothing's, he was gone, flipped over the edge with his own strength and landing on the surface of the ice waters. It was freezing, something he actually felt for once, and his blood ran colder than it already was. His limbs, fingers, went numb and his skin a pale blue. Was he dying all over again? Dying from cold that up until now and five years earlier he couldn't even feel?

To his surprise, water had already entered his system, down his throat and chocking him in the worst way. His eyes rolled back and he almost felt weightless, but he knew it was far from over, never truly being over and giving him peace. But it was almost over, and he was almost down the rabbit hole and back where he was originally suppose to be, somewhere where his Annie would never be. Not while he was still, somewhat alive.

Hearing the thunder receding, and seeing the light started to brighten around her, Annie turned towards the sea once more. He was gone, swallowed by the sea and no longer by her side. It would be another five years before she could see him again, hold him again, or kiss him again. Another five years he would be cast out of their heaven and he would serve those years down below by himself.

So there she waited, at the same spot he had jumped from, and watched the calm waters. All content now that they had their victim, their food, and their murderer.

* * *

A/N: Inspired by _"Take On Me"_ covered by Aqualung.


	2. Swim Good

The engine revved to life as he sped down a thirty mile long dirt road, all sorts of thoughts rolling through his head about what to do next. His suit felt constricting and tight as he clutched at his aching chest, a foreign pain going through it that he couldn't yet recognize as an emotion yet. The amount of pressure he was putting on his steering wheel could more or less be compared to something inhuman, it was starting to bend into the molds his fingers were leaving behind.

Sweat refused to stop forming on his chest and the hat he was wearing to cover his somewhat unruly curly hair wasn't helping too much either. His eyes flickered to the rear view mirror of his car and there the trunk showed, a liquid off to the side seeping from it. Whatever, who cared if he got caught? It was too late for him to turn back now, he had gone too far. Tints on the windows would've been nice. Going through that bustling town had been bad enough with everyone staring at him as if he was driving a hearse through a school. He couldn't stand it. The amount of guilt...

Just like that ten miles had gone up and he had made note of it in his mind, he knew exactly was at the end of this road. His awaited fate is what it was. Rolling over the stones in the road had made the back end of his car jump up and down, and he ignored the slight thumping that was made. Another pang in his chest that he had yet to describe.

Flashing blue lights in his side mirror made him tense then relax. Thank God. Would it be over? Could he stop running now? He pulled over almost as soon as the lights flashed again as a warning, happy to oblige to the law that finally seemed to catch up with him. He was tired of always getting away with it, tired of not even having to try anymore to get away with it. Please let him be caught.

The familiar phrase of "do you know why I pulled you over?" caught his attention and he almost eagerly nodded his head, his eyes trailing absently to the large trunk that occupied his car. Speeding didn't exactly register in his mind when the officer said it, and he only blinked once out of the whole encounter as a white slip of paper was placed on the hood of his car and the officer proceeded to go about his day. Missing the trunk altogether, missing the liquid still dripping out of it, missing the awful stench the whole vehicle seemed to create, and missing the brown and copper spots lingering on his clothing. He could cry at how dense the law was starting to become, or how smart and good he was becoming at his job.

With a frown and deep unsettling rouse of anger, he stepped on the pedal with more force than he could've afforded and off he sped. The deep crease between his eyebrows was unmistakable and he could only bang his fists on the steering wheel with as much force as he could afford, breaking it was out of the question. If the men in blue wouldn't help him than he knew what would and it was only fifteen more miles down the dirt path he was on. Nervous eyes focused on the rearview mirror again and they met their own reflection, widening a little in horror as the memories started to flood back, the last crime he did, the one he actually regretted.

Of course he was going to see her again. After just one night of her service, one night of their tumble in the sheets and the swaying of her hips as she walked out of his life for good was still engraved in his mind as he stepped inside a brothel. It had been five months or so since then and his throat felt dry, the only way to be quenched was via tasting her on his tongue once more. The cigarette in his mouth was his signature, the type no one else liked the taste of, but he left his mark still. So when he walked in, the familiarity of the whores came full blown, they crowded around him trying to gain his attention and favoritism. But there was only one person he was looking for, and he found out that night that she was occupying someone else and he'd have to make himself scarce or indulge in someone else before he could see her again. So he did, he indulged. Gladly, he gorged himself on the woman anatomy like the animal he was.

An hour went by and then dawn came, and finally she showed herself after the rest of her colleagues slept on the cold floors. Bruised and somewhat bloodied, she beckoned to him with no shame. Disregarding her tattered clothes, obvious signs of struggle and handprints all over black and blue. The only thing that remained untouched was her eyes. Brown and large, expressive. '_Real nice to stare into'_ sort of eyes that he couldn't find on another woman he may be making acquaintances with for that specific night. Maybe that's why he kept going back to that hell pit.

Her mouth moved and formed words his lower self agreed with, how much energy he had left after the numerous company of women he had? Absolutely none, but she would never know that because this was a man of somewhat character. She led him back to the same room where it all started and ended. The very room they met and the same room she met with others. All types of other men. But for some reason he was special because she actually talked to him instead of rudely moaning at him and asking him to do crude things to her if he liked. That wasn't very like him, and when she asked the first time he had hit her and told her to never ask that again. She smiled and gave her condolences and proceeded to unbutton his pants, but that was in the past. Tonight was different between them.

She sat with him on the bed and straddled his lap like a chair, all the while enjoying their ridiculous conversation of that night's choice of women. His hands roamed over her without stopping and she shivered to the touch- his touch only. And only he had the sort of effect on her. She grabbed his hair, moaned his name, the usual slur of pleasure filled words all the while he pumped himself into her mercilessly. He bit her, suckled on other parts of her, ate her till she told him her toes were going numb from his work. Again, the usual slur. He'd heard it before but this time was different because she sent a feeling through him that gave him a high he'd always been looking for, totally different from the one his job gave him. No, this he wasn't quite sure if he could live without and kept him coming back after five months of straight driving the nail home in his occupation.

It use to be a one way road. His job and his health and whatever else that was important in his eyes, but now the road somewhat split off. Now all he could see was the long flutter of innocent lashes of a female whom he still didn't know the name of gorging herself fully on his cock. He squeezed her shoulders, silently urging her to go deeper and faster but she didn't, letting him simmer in his lust and ecstasy. It felt too good to be upset with her for making it so easy for him to spill himself inside of her in every which way possible.

They were done. Her wiping the white off her thighs and lapping it up on her fingers to please him, and him staring at her blankly as he still hadn't come down from his sexual high just yet. Ah it just wasn't fair. He wanted another go, he wanted to stay at it every single day, but his body said otherwise; calling it's host completely insane and demented for even wishing for something so possibly deadly. More words flowed from her mouth and he looked at her seriously, her words were somewhat attached to him and she revealed that she was having the same trouble he was. And that was trying to stay away. Now, according to this brothel, the ladies were free to turn their clients away for whatever reason. The only downside of that? If they didn't make up the money that customer usually pays for them that night in one night, they were put out and one could only guess what would happen once they met with that person that they turned away on the street late at night. So the girls took their chances and claimed all their clients with open arms and that included the one standing before him, the only one that came within moments of turning him away.

"I would've if I wasn't so bent on seeing you again. Feeling you again. You lied to me the last time when you said I wouldn't see your face for the rest of my pretty, little life" she smirked at him as their foreheads touched and his facial expression grew grim. "I'm use to my clients lying to me and telling me they don't have wives, don't have daughters and sons, and sins they've committed. But yours...is the first I ever wished to be wrong"

Her words irked his throat to clench up and swallow, the aftertaste of her thighs lingering on his tongue. "Getting involved with me little girl is deadly. You're no stranger to killers I'm sure so I'm pretty sure you know one when you see one"

She leaned back away from his face, looking deep into his eyes before her face broke out into a smile and then her mouth opened to laugh heartily. "Oh baby" she sighed as she laid herself on top of him. "You are not the first killer I've been with no, but you are the best. I see it in you. It's your job, which is what separates you from them and I like that. Won't you kill me?"

There was mirth and playful banter in her words but her eyes told a different story, she was asking something of him he would be forced to give against his will. Steadily he shook his head, bringing his hand up her thigh, arse, lower back, neck and finally into her hair and tugging on it the way he knew that she liked. "I won't kill you" he told her. "However...I will save you"

She moaned against him as he, without shame, found her entrance with his cool fingers. His back was already littered with scratches and she was making more as time went on and the sun rose in the sky and then the moon took its place. The whole day was wasted on the naked whore laying on top of him still, the one with the eyes he favored so much. She played with the ends of his short curly hair and she smiled to herself. "Aren't you breaking the rules? The day is gone and you spent it here playing with me, your still bad even when you're trying to be good"

He looked at her. "You want me gone? And here I thought we were beginning to grow on each other" She smiled at him and buried her face in the crook of his neck. "I'm starting to grow on everyone else too remember? But you're the only one to grow on me, asking you to stay longer would be selfish and I'm not cruel just a bit scandalous"

"Scandalous? You're a whore sleeping with other pure womens' husbands with no remorse, you cold bitch"

"Ouch. Daddy why don't you love me?"

They laughed and he caressed her face, something that felt foreign to her, but good and warming. He would save her for sure, but the worst lie he was telling himself right then at that moment was the one he just thought. Life really was just too cruel to the two of them and neither of them had no idea whatsoever that their fate was about to be more entwined than they would've liked and in a much more different way than any of them would've had it. Something darker and colder, less white picket fence, much less than a happy ending but something more realistic and just all around sad.

A phone vibrated somewhere, was that his? Or her's? But judging by the way she looked at him slyly as it vibrated aloud let him know who the real culprit was. He got up, still naked and exposed as she was and in the back of his mind knew she was wondering if that was a secret wife of his calling...wondering where he revere so faithful husband was and why he wasn't back in time to read their beautiful children their favorite bedtime story. Oh how right was she? Not very, he had a girlfriend. A stable one. No kids, though he thought of what they may look like one day. Married though? Of course not. Didn't you just read that he has a girlfriend not a wife you dunce! Anyway, he answered the phone and didn't like what he heard on the other line. Something that only seemed to screw up the aftermath of his sex with the goddess lying on the bed waiting for him to get back into it.

His jaw clenched as his orders were set. He was not to argue, weasel or talk his way out of it, he was only suppose to do it efficiently and promptly with questions asked. Something like this was bound to happen someday, and this was the reason why he didn't get attached to anyone without some type of walls put up to protect himself! But now he'd screwed up! Went against the very grain he had risen from! He was an idiot, a fool, everything bad under the beaming sun that was no longer in the sky! How could he have let her in after so many years of perfecting himself emotionally and mentally to stand against such a weak human nature, and with a whore no less.

But his mind new better—and be damned he say so aloud, his heart new much better than his mind ever did and they both said that she was more than some regular night-to-night whore that everyone seemed to know one way or the other. She was more and he would never get to know because he had fucked up everything by even meeting her in the first place. If he hadn't have met her, it would be someone else to do the job he was just given and he would be able to avoid the empty feeling making a giant sized crater in his chest right now.

His phone clattered to the ground and he stared at it blankly. Meanwhile, the mocha-skinned bird sat kneeled patiently on her love nest waiting for her male counterpart to turn around and tell he had to get back to his golden life with a family inside of it and everything she never had or could afford and that was stolen from her the moment she was born from a long line sluts upon sluts. She would cry if the fountain hadn't have dried years ago, as she was taught from her superiors, she would take it with a smile.

He turned to face her and saw her wild hair, frizzy from the sweat of their sex, and her now only slightly bruised body and thought frantically. This was the first job he'd ever had where he had to rethink about what he was about to do, whatever he chose would forever change his life. He saw the sparkle at the corner of her eyes and he bit the inside of his cheek without his knowledge, it was like a knife cutting into his lungs. The very sight of those diamonds made his throat clench painfully.

"I'm sure their beautiful. Your family that is, and your kids, and the goddamn dog" She stared at the corner of the room disdainfully, full of hatred. "It always seems to be them to snatch whatever I gained away from me, but...who cares? The whore's opinion doesn't matter"

He wouldn't console her, that would be insulting, but would he would do is tell her the truth she deserved. "I crave that. I envy those that have that life, a family" his tongue went dry and he swallowed. "When you said I was killer it was clear that you knew, but maybe you thought I was living a double life. I'm not. In my line of work, that would only get them killed so it's just me whether I like it or not"

Her eyes widened in surprise and realization as she stared at him, crossing her legs now and thinking to herself as her mind processed everything.

"And now your thinking why I'm telling you this and that if I am that means your about to be killed and I regret that it has to be me that does it and not someone else that wouldn't go through the trouble of fucking you until you saw stars and then warming you up to make you feel somewhat special, and it had to be me, because I'm the closest one and a wife scorned is the one that specifically asked for this to happen"

She blinked and nodded her head in understanding. Because of her background, he expected nothing more or less than the behavior right now. What did she have to lose? Whom? No one that's who. What did she have to look forward to in life? A degree? School? A steady job that paid well? Well, this was a steady job but it didn't pay well, only enough for food and more clothes to get more clients between her thighs, but that's about it. Why would she stick around? Oh right. She would stick around and wait for him to come around again so he could bed her in the most fantastic way, and she could say he was the best as usual and he would love that. It would make him hard and they would go again and then one more time and then he would lay there and enjoy her naked body pressed against his and drift off a bit. But none of that was going to happen because life just shitted on their future and now there was nothing he could do but regret laying eyes on her body first and then her face and beautiful soul-awakening eyes second and then asking her for that drink and then asking for that particular service. Geez, what was he thinking? Didn't he get enough of murdering people in cold blood for money?

Now he was faced with a hard decision, and he didn't know if he could go through with it but his mind knew that he would. To hell with what his emotions and heart felt. She shook her head and a laugh erupted from the back of her throat, her back lying against the sheets with no sign of getting up any time soon. It had seemed she resigned to her fate with no going back. He wondered what she was thinking, what could possibly be going through her mind now that she knew full well what was in store for her. Was she scared? Thinking of running or resisting him? What could possibly happen that he hadn't witnessed before?

"Well, I got what I wished for huh?" she said quietly. "When I asked you if you would kill me, a part of me hoped you would do it. Another part of me, the human part, was scared and afraid of the idea of death. Then I realized that death is more of a paradise than 'this' will ever be"

He digested her words heavily, it almost swallowed him whole. She resigned to her fate, and didn't care that it was him that was going to put a stop to it, stop the pages in her book of life and rip the remaining out completely. Buckles jingled, pants were pulled up, no shirt because he didn't want to wear one anymore, and shoes were stepped into but not tied. That wasn't even the point, there was too much to worry about now.

"I have bad news..." he told her quietly.

She looked at him with wide eyes.

"I only have a knife"

His chest heaved as it rose up and down in his drivers seat and for a moment his forehead rested on the steering wheel. God, why?...the destination was right in front of him. The miles were up and he was parked right in front of the place that was supposed to permanently help him. Crushing waves slammed against the sea rock as if abusing a weak housewife, there was no signs of life anywhere and the very place was shut down years ago because of some unexplained deaths that were counted as suicides. Hands shaking, and heart beating through his chest rapidly, he stepped out of his vehicle and faced the wind. Multiple scents of blood caressed the inside of his nostrils and he could only grimace and look down in defeat. What a monster he was.

* * *

A/N: Swim Good - Frank Ocean


	3. This Magic Moment

Lonely was definitely the strong emotion she was feeling. It couldn't dawn on her why the hell she spent night after night torturing herself and reminding herself that she would be forever alone. The standup date she was currently on right now only proved that she was as unwanted as she felt. It was downright sad how pitiful she felt underneath the little lamp on the romantic set up table at the even more romantic restaurant she had made reservations for.

The waiter stopped by and she didn't even spare him a glance. He asked if she would like more wine and she nodded her head solemnly. Without a further stop, he went about his way and was off to get what she wanted, maybe the whole bottle considering the look on her face. The urge to cry was threatening to overwhelm her and she screamed at herself to keep whatever spread of dignity she had left, especially since she was the one who made the reservations to her own date! If that wasn't sad enough she didn't know what was—oh wait, the fact that she was sitting in the most romantic restaurant in the city by herself, on Valentine's Day, and coincidentally, her freaking birthday which no one remembered because they were too busy spending the night with their significant other, mate, spouse, or married whatever.

What was wrong with her? Why couldn't she catch the eye of at least some attractive on the street? Where the hell was she going wrong? She glanced down at her attire and shrugged lightly. It wasn't too slutty and it didn't seem like she was trying too hard was she? Well it was a rather tight dress, also showing the tip tops of her bosom with no shame whatsoever, and what about her butt? Yeah, also curvy and noticeable in said dress. The length of the dress? Mid-thigh. Okay so she could admit that she was trying hard and was just really hoping that the date a guy named Danny suggested they go on would lead to something real, but...as usual it was a let down.

She was done questioning what was wrong with herself and was done wallowing her own self pity. Why hadn't she just given up already? Screw her friends that told her to get back on the saddle after so long of being single, fuck the saddle, because right now the saddle was riding her! And she was done! Done with it all!

That is until her wine came back, and instead of a nice fancy glass it was the whole bottle and it was set right in front of her. Once it looked like it wasn't going to be poured into a wine glass after all, she took a chance to look up at her waiter and tell him off when her words got trapped in her throat. Standing in front of her empty table was the most handsome waiter she'd ever seen, just her type, and with eyes of an honest man. The very look of him just took her breath away.

He cleared his throat and she shook her head, smiling at him apologetically and rising from her spot. His eyebrows rose in question.

"I'm sorry. I know I asked for wine but I'm done here now. My date never showed up and...I guess I'm a little tired" she said quietly to the waiter.

The waiter, who was also holding a pitcher of water in his hand, looked at her pitifully for a moment before setting the glass down and standing in front of her. "I honestly don't understand the guys that stand you up. They're honestly missing out on something special, it's damn cruel" he said sternly.

A blush crept across her face and she smiled a bit. "How did you know about my track record of being stood up?"

He made a sheepish sort of smile, the cutest thing she'd ever seen, and he scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "I don't want to sound like a total stalker, but I've every date you've brought in here I've seen. I've even served you a couple of times too...you never noticed though"

That last part left a sour taste in the woman's mouth and she desperately tried to recall the times where she at least once looked at him. To no avail, she sighed and avoided his gaze in somewhat shame. Now that she thought about it, she was a shallow person, which is probably why her relationships never worked out in the end because she never looked around her.

An angry customer through her fellow handsome waiter a dirty look and he quickly picked up the cold pitcher of water from her table. He threw her his own apologetic smile before walking off and serving the old lady the water she wanted twenty minutes ago. Meanwhile, Annie sat at her table alone again but with a new outlook on her life. Her eyes were opened a bit more and there was a certain shine to them everyone else would notice except herself.

She turned her head this way and that and finally looked outside her window in her booth. It was nightfall and it was snowing, and just the whole thing looked beautiful and even brought some tears to her eyes. Why was she even sad again? Oh yeah, because she got stood up again, but why the hell should she care? There was a beautiful world outside and she didn't even realize it because she was so caught up in wondering who the next guy would be for her. Why couldn't she just be her own boyfriend? Her own best friend? Her own lover? Did she really need a man to love herself?

While she had been staring out the window and thinking to herself quietly, the waiter staring at her intently went unnoticed by said woman and perhaps it was best if she didn't know. He could tell she was a girl of character ,but he wanted her to find herself before he did anything or made his way into her life. He couldn't shake the feeling of thinking that course of action would be the best for both of them. Still, there was no harm in admiring her. Her skin, the way it shined and glowed, her eyes that were the deepest brown he'd ever seen, and her hair that curled and trailed down her shoulders and back. She truly was beautiful and didn't even know it. The guys she chose to date didn't either and that was all the more sad.

Forgetting completely about the pact he made with himself, he walked back over to her table and watched as her head snapped to attention making him smile gently at her. God was she cute, how could he even resist? He sat down at her table and watched her face turn three different shades of red all at once.

"Closing is in thirty minutes, and I have lock up duties" he told her with a smile

* * *

A/N: Inspired By _"This Magic Moment"_ by Ben E. King


End file.

Being Human, Mystery, Tragedy